Implementing storage policies regarding use of memory regions

Abstract

Example implementations relate to implementing storage policies regarding use of memory regions. In example implementations, a first memory region having a lower access latency than a second memory region may be identified. The first and second memory regions may be identical in memory type. A plurality of storage policies regarding use of the first and second memory regions may be implemented.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a memory region identification module to identify a first memory region having a lower access latency than a second memory region, wherein the first and second memory regions are identical in memory type;   a memory utilization module to determine memory demand;   a storage policy module to implement a plurality of storage policies regarding use of the first and second memory regions; and   a data relocation module to move, in response to a runtime determination that memory demand is below a threshold value, data from the second memory region to the first memory region.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first memory region and the second memory region are on a memory module; and   the memory region identification module is further to read access latency data for the first memory region and the second memory region from a serial presence detect (SPD) read-only memory (ROM) on the memory module.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first memory region and the second memory region are on a memory device; and   the memory region identification module is to identify, based on characteristics of the memory device, the first memory region.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage policy module is further to:
 receive, during runtime of the system, and while the storage policy module is implementing a first storage policy of the plurality of storage policies, a storage policy change command; and   in response to the storage policy change command:
 implement a second storage policy of the plurality of storage policies, and 
 stop implementing the first storage policy. 
   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 according to the first storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and the second memory region;   according to the second storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and not at the second memory region; and   the data relocation module is further to move data from the second memory region to the first memory region in response to the storage policy change command.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a refresh management module to disable refresh cycles in the second memory region in response to a determination that copying of data from the second memory region to the first memory region is complete. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the memory region identification module is further to identify a third memory region having an access latency different from those of the first and second memory regions, wherein the first, second, and third memory regions are identical in memory type; and   the storage policy module is further to implement a third storage policy, of the plurality of storage policies, regarding use of the first, second, and third memory regions.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage policy module is further to implement, in response to the runtime determination that memory demand is below the threshold value, a different storage policy of the plurality of storage policies instead of a currently implemented storage policy. 
     
     
         9 . A machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:
 instructions to identify a first memory region having a lower access latency than a second memory region, wherein the first and second memory regions are identical in memory type;   instructions to determine whether to accept storage policy change commands, regarding use of the first and second memory regions, that are received during runtime; and   instructions to implement, if a storage policy change command is received while a first storage policy is implemented, and if a determination is made to accept storage policy change commands that are received during runtime, a second storage policy instead of the first storage policy.   
     
     
         10 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 according to the first storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and the second memory region;   according to the second storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and not at the second memory region; and   the machine-readable storage medium further comprises instructions to move data from the second memory region to the first memory region in response to the storage policy change command.   
     
     
         11 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions to disable refresh cycles in the second memory region in response to a determination that copying of data from the second memory region to the first memory region is complete. 
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 according to the first storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and not at the second memory region;   according to the second storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and the second memory region; and   the machine-readable storage medium further comprises:
 instructions to disable refresh cycles in the second memory region while the first storage policy is implemented; and 
 instructions to enable refresh cycles in the second memory region while the second storage policy is implemented. 
   
     
     
         13 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 instructions to determine memory demand; and   instructions to move, during runtime, and in response to a determination that memory demand is below a threshold value, data from the second memory region to the first memory region.   
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 identifying a first memory region having a lower access latency than a second memory region, wherein the first and second memory regions are identical in memory type;   implementing, in response to a runtime storage policy change command received while a first storage policy regarding use of the first and second memory regions is implemented, a second storage policy, regarding use of the first and second memory regions, instead of the first storage policy; and   managing refresh cycles of the first or second memory region in response to the storage policy change command.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining whether to accept storage policy change commands that are received during runtime, wherein:
 according to the first storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and the second memory region;   according to the second storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and not at the second memory region; and   implementing the second storage policy comprises masking a bit of memory addresses, to which memory access commands are directed, to exclude memory addresses in the second memory region.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising moving data from the second memory region to the first memory region in response to the storage policy change command. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 according to the first storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and not at the second memory region;   according to the second storage policy, memory access commands are directed at the first memory region and the second memory region; and   managing refresh cycles comprises:
 disabling refresh cycles in the second memory region while the first storage policy is implemented; and 
 enabling refresh cycles in the second memory region while the second storage policy is implemented. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining memory demand; and   moving, during runtime, and in response to a determination that memory demand is below a threshold value, data from the second memory region to the first memory region.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first memory region and the second memory region are on a memory module; and   identifying the first memory region comprises reading access latency data for the first memory region and the second memory region from a serial presence detect (SPD) read-only memory (ROM) on the memory module.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first memory region and the second memory region are on a memory device; and   the first memory region is identified based on characteristics of the memory device.